Incredibly, we’re just talking about the first step in the process here. OSHA isn’t asking the White House to approve a final rule. It is simply asking the White House to allow the agency to collect public comments on its draft proposal. We’re still many months and likely years away from a final silica public health standard.

In other words, if the Obama administration intends on taking action during the president’s second term to protect workers from this entirely preventable disease, it needs to remove the logjam now.

A science-based proposal to protect workers from toxic silica dust, a byproduct of many construction activities, has been held up by the White House for nearly two years. Photo: Flickr user MGChan

More than three hundred public health scientists wrote the president last January urging him to stop the White House from gumming up the works. “The OSHA proposed rule on crystalline silica needs to be issued,” the scientists wrote, “So that the public, workers, unions, public health experts and employers have the full opportunity to participate in the development of this important worker protection measure.”

Their plea fell on deaf ears, perhaps because of administration desires to appease industry representatives in advance of the November election. The delay came after nine meetings between the White House and industry groups apparently opposed to even discussing how to best protect workers from unnecessary exposure to silica dust.

OSHA started working on this proposal in 1997. That’s when Bill Clinton started his second term. A gallon of gasoline cost $1.22. Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear. We watched Titanic and The Full Monty in theaters. Tony Blair became prime minister of England. And Hansen was topping the charts.

We’re past the election. It’s time for the White House to let OSHA advance its science-based proposal. Delay only leads to more deaths and more disease.

About the author:
Michael Halpern is an expert on political interference in science and solutions to reduce suppression, manipulation, and distortion of government science. See Michael's full bio.

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Yock

The problem is that MSHA is a joke. They basically overlook most safety violations in the mining industry where most of these cases are found. The cement industry is notorious for allowing employees to be exposed to large quantities of dust. MSHA allows mining industries to expose workers to silica dust by not enforcing existing laws requiring them to install proper engineering controls to mitigate dust. Our government is bought and paid for by special interest groups. Until real representation is established in this country, our working conditions will slowly degrade to that of the third world. Welcome to the new normal.

http://fashionrip.blogspot.com deborah j barnes

why not go direct to companies. What industries create the exposure. Local citizens can stand up with each other. Waiting for godot (gov0 is not very direct and we can do better, we must.
There have to be a few businesses left that have some integrity, some human based values left. If they gang up on the offenders we might see some cool results. Where are the good businesses in all sectors? i am not wanting to buy, use anything any more, we have been screwed once to often.

LIUAN

The Laborers’ International Union of North America, LIUNA, has submitted a “We the People” petition to the White House in an attempt to force the Obama administration to promulgate OSHA’s proposed comprehensive standard on occupational silica exposure.

Please help us spread the world about this petition and use the hashtag #ItsNotJustDust when sharing on Twitter.

http://www.main.nc.us/pace Elizabeth M.T. O’Nan

Would we continue to allow an assasin to kill innocent people just because he made lots of money or needed a job? I hope you said no. It makes no more sense to allow workers to be exposed to silica dust or our children to be exposed to pesticides on their food, in their water, and in their air or continue to allow addictive obesegens like MSG to be sold. Premeditated random homicide is still murder despite not knowing who the victims are in advance.
Please stop the poisoning.

http://www.main.nc.us/pace Elizabeth M.T. O’Nan

Would we continue to allow an assasin to kill innocent people just because he made lots of money or needed a job? I hope you said no. It makes no more sense to allow workers to be exposed to silica dust or our children to be exposed to pesticides on their food, in their water, and in their air or continue to allow addictive obesegens like MSG to be sold. Premeditated random homicide is still murder despite not knowing who the victims are in advance.
Please stop the poisoning.

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